The UNH Extension Women in Agriculture Program offered it’s first-ever Women’s Equipment Weekend in Bethlehem, NH, featuring two days of all things chainsaws and tractors! This workshop offered women farmers and landowners an opportunity to take a deep dive into equipment maintenance and operation. Participants were able to learn skills such as tractor oil changes, greasing, checking fluids, tires, and refueling. They also practiced chainsaw maintenance like replacing a bar and chain, cleaning the saw, and sharpening a chain.
Participants also talked with an NRCS partner planner to learn more about how conservation practices can be implemented on their farms or land. These conservation practices can be part of a cost-share agreement between the landowner and NRCS, which means farmers are able to access funding by using approved practices to manage their natural resources such as forestland, grazing areas, composting sites, and maintaining field edges.
The Women in Agriculture Program focuses on providing a high-quality and impactful experience for workshop participants. This means we provide a safe space for people to access equipment and tools which are appropriate for learning and practicing skills. The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests partnered with UNH Extension for this event and generously allowed our workshop participants to use their tractors and equipment for operation practice. SPNHF also hosted this workshop at The Rocks Estate in Bethlehem, NH.
The participants were able to practice hitching, driving, and backing up a tractor and trailer and learned to navigate hills and uneven terrain on a tractor with an implement on the back. Using a small tractor and wagon provided an extra challenge for those just learning how to back a trailer but was a fun way to make mistakes and then learn how to correct them. Tractors offer great solutions for material handling and participants enjoyed having plenty of time to problem solve their own situations by opening up a new possibility for moving equipment, compost, firewood, and more!
The chainsaw sessions focused on safe and efficient operation. The women that attended mentioned that they were working on cutting their own firewood for the winter or needed to practice chainsaw skills to clear downed trees. Wendy Weisiger, the chainsaw instructor, taught ergonomically friendly ways to handle a saw and safely accomplish such tasks.
Another important aspect of this workshop was spending time talking, networking, and building community. Participants were able to group problem solve challenges they face on their own land and shared stories and goals for future farming enterprises. UNH Extension would like to give a special thanks to The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests for their generous support of this program!
